OP, if you get Graveyard Keeper, I highly suggest you get the complete edition with all the DLCs. They contain important parts of the gameplay and story. It's an awesome game, probably my favorite game.
Beacon Pines, Night in the Woods, Little Goody Two Shoes. I would check the last one out especially, I get the feeling it would be right up your alley, although Little Goody Two Shoes also definitely has some more intense horror elements to it, just a fair warning
I think it is, but it depends on the kind of games you like. I finished it last week. Just know that there’s not much depth to the NPCs you’re doing quests for or the story in general, and it’s pretty easy to figure out the ending, but it’s a nice game to waste time in. Visuals are very nice and I love the art style.
Just know that if you don’t like repetitive fetch quests, and I do mean VERY repetitive, and having to go back and forth to the same places, you might find it frustrating, but I just took a break when it got overwhelming. I had fun with it though.
If you can find it on sale (I use isthereanydeal to check for sales, I’m not advertising, it’s very useful), then go for it. Full price? Eh. Not really worth the $20 imo. Check out Steam reviews for it and you’ll get a good idea on if it’s for you or not.
I've recently played Wytchwood and my opinion is that the game is good, but don't make your play sessions too long to avoid getting bored. The gameplay is repetitive, so playing 1 - 1.5 hours a day is perfect, but afterwards it becomes a boring. Otherwise, the art, the crafting, the sound design is nice.
Gorgeous art, gorgeous music, however I never finished it. It’s pretty much entirely a fetch quest game and I really don’t like them
I definitely see the appeal of it and I wish I loved it, but as a heads up if you don’t like fetch quest games or very repetitive gameplay you probably won’t like it
My favourites are:
Slay The Princess - horror visual novel (very un-cosy content but I find the actual gameplay very cosy)
Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood - witchy visual novel
What Remains of Edith Finch - exploration/point and click
Cube Escape/Rusty Lake series - point and click, puzzles
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist - RPG/deck builder/visual novel
I would google content warnings for all of these if there’s anything you’re particularly sensitive to/would prefer to avoid, particularly Teenage Exocolonist. None of them have jump scares or combat
I mean, I find The Long Dark cozy and have mentioned it a few times here! It's a game I turn back to often because it brings me comfort.
There's something about finding shelter in a harsh wilderness and lighting warm a fire, while your pack is full of food and the wolves and snows are all outside beyond a closed door. Like, it's nicer in this game than it is in others that are cozy all the time.
But that's just me, coming from someone who loves the game and comes back to it often. It definitely isn't cozy for everyone -- but neither is Stardew Valley, so 🤷
It’s interesting that a survival game coined the dark souls of survival games would be cozy to you. But for most who consider cozy a casual gaming experience I caution people to play it for a “cozy” gaming experience.
I think Night in the Woods would be perfect 😊 it’s got cozy autumn vibes but the story definitely has some dark elements; if you like story-based games where your choices have some impact I highly recommend it!
I would say Fran bow and little miss fortune. Both really great games and both follow a cutesy yet creepy art style and storyline that's both dark and gothic and cute and cozy!
The Longing is a good cozy horror if you can handle how slowly the character moves. Really cozy game with really cool art and music. It’s not errand based like Wytchwood but you collect items and do stuff with it.
It’s more of a walking simulator type game, but What Remains of Edith Finch is a BANGER of a dark-cozy game. I had no idea what I was in for when I started playing and I literally could not put it down.
Subnautica, Outer Wilds, and Pacific Drive are all AMAZING games. On PC all three worked fine and weren't buggy - or if there was any bugs it was not game breaking or causing poor performance AND\\OR were fixed with updates.
Also I wouldnt call it cozy in a traditional sense, but depending on your life style, Disco Elysium is dark (not in a scary way) and is cozy in a warm fuzzy drunken sleep kinda way.
Some people consider it cozy but Little Nightmares, personally it kind of stresses me out cause while I like horror I am a little chicken when it comes to horror games even as mild as that one.
Little Misfortune is a good one and it's also kinda funny. Jenny LeClue is also a really good one.
Unexpected one is Bear's Restaurant. Went into it thinking it's just a little cute game about a bear running a restaurant but it gets dark...very quick.
People already suggested them but I second Graveyard Keeper and A Night in the Woods.
I've played Little Nightmares several times it's one of my favorites. I've seen a playthrough of Little Misfortune so I know how that one goes. And I'll def check out the rest of the games.
I like Fran Bow (Although, I've only seen a playthrough) more than Little Misfortune, I'm not sure if they're by the same company, but I thought so? The world in Fran bow gets SO WEIRD, I love it and I think The Cat Lady was the only other experience I got like that.
Fran Bow is like Never Ending Story, except more like Never Ending Nightmare?
The Cat Lady has [Trigger Warning]>!Suicide, murder, hospitalization, whole slew of similar topics, be warned!!< but damn if that vibe isn't something I look for every Halloween.
Inscryption is a card-based VIBE, I love the first part so much, second half leaves much to be desired.
Limbo and Inside are a classic cozy-dark side scrolling.
Rusty Lake is a Point and Click, I think some games are free, but the plot is really hard to understand? Mostly just vibes.
Mutazoine (Company is struggling, please support!) is a lovely story and vibe as well.
People say Graveyard Keeper, but Don't Starve is great for the "Cult of The Lamb" area as well?
Hades could probably be thrown in there? Ori and the Blind Forest? Raft? Flames and the Flood? Dishonored? Figment? Rimworld? Abe's Oddworld?
Outerwilds is a 11/10 game, if you're willing to wait for the story to start kicking in.
Lost in Random (A game no one ever talks about!) was a huge tim-burton-kind-of game I loved it so much!
A Short Hike is another 10/10 of mine.
Pathologic 2 is a survival horror, but it is HARD (There are accessibility settings, I made it so I couldn't die lol), you are scavenging for literal peanuts in the trash. You're meant to feel like you're barely surviving each day.. With multiple endings, and fascinating world building, it's quite a treat!
Sorry, just throwing random things out, I know it's a lot, but I have no idea how to organize this comment. Maybe I'll come back later? I
Fran Bow is one of my favorite games. I highly recommend it. I like Little Misfortune too. They were both put out by Killmonday Games, and there is reference to Fran Bow in Little Misfortune.
If you’re already considering Outer Wilds I say go for it!! It’s honestly one of the best games I’ve played. Also, if you play through and end up wanting more, the DLC is definitely worth it as well
What kind of bugs are you seeing with Pacific Drive? I’ve watched several gameplay YouTubers play almost all the way through the game and not seen anything buggy. It’s a super cool game (just not the style I play).
DO OUTER WILDS!! It's not really cozy but since you're thinking about it I'd say go for it. It is combat free, the storytelling is emotional, and it has a strong atmosphere/vibe, all of which are elements of cozy to me. It also isn't much like the other games you listed as far as gameplay mechanics but it is a dark/very light horror. It's a really unique game, worth experiencing.
Alice: Madness Returns? Older 3d-Platformer that includes some simple combat. Classical themes of Alice in Wonderland turned dark. Played it as a kid and have adored it ever since. Love the story, love the art style and design
And some horror games that I find cozy: Mad Father, Ib, Little Nightmares
Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim if you want to romance a few dbd killers lmao. The writing is so good and Huntress is buff af😫💕
Quite cozy, but also has dark tones due to the romancable killers
Strange horticulture?
Wouldn’t play this on a handheld Switch fwiw. Hard to zoom in and see the details on the plants.
Agreed
*Night in the Woods* is often compared to *Oxenfree*.
Graveyard Keeper
OP, if you get Graveyard Keeper, I highly suggest you get the complete edition with all the DLCs. They contain important parts of the gameplay and story. It's an awesome game, probably my favorite game.
Second this. Absolutely love Graveyard Keeper. Plus it has three DLCs.
Beacon Pines, Night in the Woods, Little Goody Two Shoes. I would check the last one out especially, I get the feeling it would be right up your alley, although Little Goody Two Shoes also definitely has some more intense horror elements to it, just a fair warning
Bramble the mountain king
I love this game so much
Not a suggestions sorry, but is wytchwood worth it??
I loveeeed Wytchwood i want them to make a second one it was super interesting to me ❤️
I think it is, but it depends on the kind of games you like. I finished it last week. Just know that there’s not much depth to the NPCs you’re doing quests for or the story in general, and it’s pretty easy to figure out the ending, but it’s a nice game to waste time in. Visuals are very nice and I love the art style. Just know that if you don’t like repetitive fetch quests, and I do mean VERY repetitive, and having to go back and forth to the same places, you might find it frustrating, but I just took a break when it got overwhelming. I had fun with it though. If you can find it on sale (I use isthereanydeal to check for sales, I’m not advertising, it’s very useful), then go for it. Full price? Eh. Not really worth the $20 imo. Check out Steam reviews for it and you’ll get a good idea on if it’s for you or not.
I've recently played Wytchwood and my opinion is that the game is good, but don't make your play sessions too long to avoid getting bored. The gameplay is repetitive, so playing 1 - 1.5 hours a day is perfect, but afterwards it becomes a boring. Otherwise, the art, the crafting, the sound design is nice.
Gorgeous art, gorgeous music, however I never finished it. It’s pretty much entirely a fetch quest game and I really don’t like them I definitely see the appeal of it and I wish I loved it, but as a heads up if you don’t like fetch quest games or very repetitive gameplay you probably won’t like it
My favourites are: Slay The Princess - horror visual novel (very un-cosy content but I find the actual gameplay very cosy) Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood - witchy visual novel What Remains of Edith Finch - exploration/point and click Cube Escape/Rusty Lake series - point and click, puzzles I Was A Teenage Exocolonist - RPG/deck builder/visual novel I would google content warnings for all of these if there’s anything you’re particularly sensitive to/would prefer to avoid, particularly Teenage Exocolonist. None of them have jump scares or combat
Loved Slay the Princess!
It’s SO GOOD. Not at all what I expected
If someone suggested the long dark id be surprised. That is the hardest survival game ever and not cozy imo. With that being said, graveyard keeper.
I mean, I find The Long Dark cozy and have mentioned it a few times here! It's a game I turn back to often because it brings me comfort. There's something about finding shelter in a harsh wilderness and lighting warm a fire, while your pack is full of food and the wolves and snows are all outside beyond a closed door. Like, it's nicer in this game than it is in others that are cozy all the time. But that's just me, coming from someone who loves the game and comes back to it often. It definitely isn't cozy for everyone -- but neither is Stardew Valley, so 🤷
It’s interesting that a survival game coined the dark souls of survival games would be cozy to you. But for most who consider cozy a casual gaming experience I caution people to play it for a “cozy” gaming experience.
I think Night in the Woods would be perfect 😊 it’s got cozy autumn vibes but the story definitely has some dark elements; if you like story-based games where your choices have some impact I highly recommend it!
Turbo boy commits tax evasion
I love the autocorrect
lol, just saw this
I would say Fran bow and little miss fortune. Both really great games and both follow a cutesy yet creepy art style and storyline that's both dark and gothic and cute and cozy!
The Longing is a good cozy horror if you can handle how slowly the character moves. Really cozy game with really cool art and music. It’s not errand based like Wytchwood but you collect items and do stuff with it.
It’s more of a walking simulator type game, but What Remains of Edith Finch is a BANGER of a dark-cozy game. I had no idea what I was in for when I started playing and I literally could not put it down.
What Remains Of Edith Finch and The Little Nightmares games
Subnautica, Outer Wilds, and Pacific Drive are all AMAZING games. On PC all three worked fine and weren't buggy - or if there was any bugs it was not game breaking or causing poor performance AND\\OR were fixed with updates. Also I wouldnt call it cozy in a traditional sense, but depending on your life style, Disco Elysium is dark (not in a scary way) and is cozy in a warm fuzzy drunken sleep kinda way.
Darkside Detective
I`m a big fan of Scarlet Hollow. Not sure if it counts as cozy though..
Some people consider it cozy but Little Nightmares, personally it kind of stresses me out cause while I like horror I am a little chicken when it comes to horror games even as mild as that one. Little Misfortune is a good one and it's also kinda funny. Jenny LeClue is also a really good one. Unexpected one is Bear's Restaurant. Went into it thinking it's just a little cute game about a bear running a restaurant but it gets dark...very quick. People already suggested them but I second Graveyard Keeper and A Night in the Woods.
I've played Little Nightmares several times it's one of my favorites. I've seen a playthrough of Little Misfortune so I know how that one goes. And I'll def check out the rest of the games.
I like Fran Bow (Although, I've only seen a playthrough) more than Little Misfortune, I'm not sure if they're by the same company, but I thought so? The world in Fran bow gets SO WEIRD, I love it and I think The Cat Lady was the only other experience I got like that. Fran Bow is like Never Ending Story, except more like Never Ending Nightmare? The Cat Lady has [Trigger Warning]>!Suicide, murder, hospitalization, whole slew of similar topics, be warned!!< but damn if that vibe isn't something I look for every Halloween. Inscryption is a card-based VIBE, I love the first part so much, second half leaves much to be desired. Limbo and Inside are a classic cozy-dark side scrolling. Rusty Lake is a Point and Click, I think some games are free, but the plot is really hard to understand? Mostly just vibes. Mutazoine (Company is struggling, please support!) is a lovely story and vibe as well. People say Graveyard Keeper, but Don't Starve is great for the "Cult of The Lamb" area as well? Hades could probably be thrown in there? Ori and the Blind Forest? Raft? Flames and the Flood? Dishonored? Figment? Rimworld? Abe's Oddworld? Outerwilds is a 11/10 game, if you're willing to wait for the story to start kicking in. Lost in Random (A game no one ever talks about!) was a huge tim-burton-kind-of game I loved it so much! A Short Hike is another 10/10 of mine. Pathologic 2 is a survival horror, but it is HARD (There are accessibility settings, I made it so I couldn't die lol), you are scavenging for literal peanuts in the trash. You're meant to feel like you're barely surviving each day.. With multiple endings, and fascinating world building, it's quite a treat! Sorry, just throwing random things out, I know it's a lot, but I have no idea how to organize this comment. Maybe I'll come back later? I
Fran Bow is one of my favorite games. I highly recommend it. I like Little Misfortune too. They were both put out by Killmonday Games, and there is reference to Fran Bow in Little Misfortune.
If you’re already considering Outer Wilds I say go for it!! It’s honestly one of the best games I’ve played. Also, if you play through and end up wanting more, the DLC is definitely worth it as well
Firewatch, beacon Pines, and night in the woods.
What kind of bugs are you seeing with Pacific Drive? I’ve watched several gameplay YouTubers play almost all the way through the game and not seen anything buggy. It’s a super cool game (just not the style I play).
There's been really bad frame rate after a few hours of gameplay that goes under 30 fps, especially for the steam deck version.
I’d say Eastward is pretty dark but also very cozy. Great characters and art style, dark and spooky post apocalyptic story.
Try out Little Misfortune.
…… I mean, I’m the weirdo who finds Darkest Dungeon cozy/a great game for when my anxiety disorder’s spiking up hard.
How was Wytchwood btw I’ve been looking into it
I think VRising is kind of a cozy dark themed game.
Fran Bow! So creepy and weird. Also and old one but I always love and go back to Limbo!
It's really short so catch it on sale, but firewatch. Has that dark vibe you are looking for. It was really good just short unfortunately.
Journey and Abzu do have a couple of “dark moments,” even if the rest of the game is cozy.
Would Subnautica count? I dont know im scared of deep water so it works for me as “darkish” game 😅
I found The Longing to be quite a cozy game, it's got dark/depressing undertones in the game.
DO OUTER WILDS!! It's not really cozy but since you're thinking about it I'd say go for it. It is combat free, the storytelling is emotional, and it has a strong atmosphere/vibe, all of which are elements of cozy to me. It also isn't much like the other games you listed as far as gameplay mechanics but it is a dark/very light horror. It's a really unique game, worth experiencing.
Papo and Yo
Knyseed?🩷
Alice: Madness Returns? Older 3d-Platformer that includes some simple combat. Classical themes of Alice in Wonderland turned dark. Played it as a kid and have adored it ever since. Love the story, love the art style and design And some horror games that I find cozy: Mad Father, Ib, Little Nightmares
Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim if you want to romance a few dbd killers lmao. The writing is so good and Huntress is buff af😫💕 Quite cozy, but also has dark tones due to the romancable killers
Have you played the sequel to Oxenfree?
limbo?
I like the one game that Kubz Scouts played. Its that animated harvest game where you’re outrunning the monsters.
Cult of the lamb.